A man threw a flare onto the pitch during the East Anglian Derby after being given a ticket to the game for his birthday, a court has heard.
Jamie Wells is not a Norwich or Ipswich fan but had been given his friend's season ticket for the match at Carrow Road on February 26 as a 'birthday present' as he turned 25 that day.
Norwich Magistrates Court was told he was 'seen to light a flare due to the amount of smoke and throw it onto the pitch'.
Wells, of Bourne Road, Lowestoft, appeared at court where he admitted a charge of throwing a missile onto a football playing area.
Sally Dale, mitigating, said Wells had 'got himself into a complete mess'.
She said he does not regularly go to football but had been offered a friend's season ticket for the derby.
'In effect it was a birthday present off his mate'.
Wells went to the game with another friend and had 'quite a lot to drink'.
Miss Dale said at half time he was handed a flare by someone else.
When Norwich scored in the second half he 'celebrated by throwing a flare onto the pitch'.
Miss Dale said the flare ended up near the corner flag and nowhere near the players who were up the other end of the field.
She said Wells accepted he had been 'stupid' and an 'idiot' and was embarrassed to find himself at court.
He was fined £300, ordered him to pay £85 costs, and a £30 victim surcharge.
Magistrates said they could not impose a football banning order as no paperwork was provided by police.
Two other people appeared in court yesterday after being arrested at the game. They were:
• George Bentley, 24, of Forster Way, Aylsham, admitted a charge of being drunk in a sports ground.
Bentley, who represented himself, said he had 'a bit too much to drink' and was 'embarrassed' at the state he was in.
He was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
• Andrew Fenwick, 53, of Braintree, Essex, admitted an offence of being drunk while trying to enter a sports ground.
Fenwick, who represented himself, apologised and said being arrested taken to a police station and into a cell is not something he wanted to repeat.
He was fined £370 ordered to pay £85 costs and a £37 surcharge.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here